Various types of push-button actuated dispensing valves for dispensing liquids from a relatively large capacity container are known in the art. Where the dispensing valve or tap is used with a flexible wall container (e.g., collapsible wall), it is unnecessary for the container to be vented because no pressure differential is created upon emptying of the container through the tap.
In contrast, with a rigid container, a vent, or other system, must be provided for equalizing the pressure differential created as the contents of the rigid container are dispensed.
There remains a need for a low cost, easy to assemble, reliable, and self-venting dispensing valve that can be actuated by an operator with a single hand. Further, there remains a need for such a dispensing valve that can be used with liquids of varying viscosity, having an automatic shut-off function to prevent inadvertent dispensing.
All US patents and applications and all other published documents mentioned anywhere in this application are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Without limiting the scope of the invention a brief summary of some of the claimed embodiments of the invention is set forth below. Additional details of the summarized embodiments of the invention and/or additional embodiments of the invention may be found in the Detailed Description of the Invention, below.
A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification is provided as well only for the purposes of complying with 37 C.F.R. 1.72. The abstract is not intended to be used for interpreting the scope of the claims.